Can't I Even Dream?
by EternityRoze262
Summary: "I'm here. It's overflowing. I keep bearing this love. If my screams don't reach you, it's completely unworthy. I'm here… get me out of here, my prince… can't I even dream…?" Who knew that this haunting melody had such a power to free my soul?
1. The Palace

**Author's Notes:** Based on Hatsune Miku's song "Can't I Even Dream?" This story has more of a darker theme, and some parts just kind of creeped myself out as I was typing it, so don't blame me if you guys have nightmares. I just have this weird obsession with the dark side or something. Anyways it's a two-shot (if that's even a word) because the whole story seems a bit too long to be a one-shot. I don't know. Let's say it's a short story with Admirationshipping as well as Contestshipping, AU and some OOC (Ok maybe a lot of OOC). This first chapter mainly sets up the story, but the second one will contain all the drama.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or the song "Can't I Even Dream?" by Hatsune Miku

* * *

><p><strong>Can't I Even Dream?<strong>

By EternityRoze262

_**The Palace**_

* * *

><p>"For the last time, Princess Brianna, the answer is no!" shouted a tall woman with her hands firmly placed just above her hips. Her pose was quite elegant, but at the same time, frightening to look at. The way her mouth curved downward upon her face, creating a single line and the appearance of her large eyes that were fixed upon mine gave me more than enough hints to conclude that she was furious with me.<p>

"But mother, it's her birthday today. She's turning sixteen, and I promise that the party won't last more than five hours." I tried to explain, but the expression on my mother's face didn't change.

"Five hours?" she repeated in a harsh tone. "In five hours I could eat a full course meal, ready myself for the day as well as take a nice stroll around the entire garden! Five hours is far too long for a child such as yourself to be off partying in the village."

"But I'm not a child anymore," I insisted, "I'm fifteen years old now. I think I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"You think!" my mother spat out. "But what you don't know, my child, is that there lies a great danger outside the palace walls."

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh of annoyance. "Oh please, mother. I've heard those words from you since the day I could talk."

"Then you should know better than to ask me if you are allowed to accept such an invitation."

I lowered my head in shame, but a part of me wanted to keep fighting so I could finally have things go my way for once. However, I found no other words to counter back and soon, silence was the only thing that spoke in the great hallway. My eyes gazed upon the golden marble flooring that surrounded my existence and I soon became aware of the clothing in which I was wearing. I lay a gentle finger on the lower part of my gown, tracing the golden laces that ran across the entire dress. Then, I gave a doleful look to my mother as I held my hands behind my back, trying to look as innocent as possible. Her face immediately softened, showing a kind motherly figure, and she reached her long thin arms toward me. For a moment, I thought about stepping back to avoid her grasp, but before I could do anything, I was already in her warm arms. She pulled me close to her, embracing me so tightly that I could smell the sweet scent of roses on her. I quickly gave in and wrapped my arms around her, hiding my face, that were now full of tears, in her beautifully ornate dress.

"I-I've never _ever _been outside the palace walls before. I've never gotten the chance to become friends with other people. And with the only friend I do have… all we can do is write letters to each other because you and father forbid us to see each other!" I sobbed, not being able to take the loneliness any longer. I had felt too much of it for the past fifteen years and had hoped that my mother would have allowed me to go to my friend's birthday party just this once, but it didn't look like it was going to happen.

My one friend was named May. She was the only daughter of a middle class family who lived in the nearby village, which was one of the many places our family ruled. We met back when we were both still young in age. May had snuck into the palace grounds because of her curiosity about the luxurious building and surprisingly, she was able to get in without being seen by any of the guards. Fortunately, I had been the first to discover her presence and we became close friends after exchanging names. Our fun didn't last for long though, for a couple minutes after we met, my parents had realized that there was an unexpected visitor in the palace. We didn't get yelled at so harshly then because we were about five at the time, but my parents forbid the both of us from seeing each other again, strictly because I wasn't allowed out of the palace and May wasn't allowed in. They did, however, allow us to keep in touch by letters, which was better than nothing in my case. But the feeling of loneliness began to creep into my heart, and I found myself staring out my window every time I was in my chamber.

The view I had from my bedroom was a perfect view of the village. There were no trees or buildings blocking my view, and I could see straight out to the center of the village, where a large open area lay out in plain sight. I always imagined seeing May there in the open area, but when I finally looked hard enough, I realized that she was never there. How I longed to see her again! But with the answer I had received from my mother, I knew there was no chance that I would ever see her again.

"There, there," my mother hushed as she stroked my short red hair, "It's alright, princess. When I was a little girl, I had never been outside the palace walls either, but it's not such a bad thing. You're very safe here and there are many beautiful rooms for you to entertain yourself with."

I sniffled quietly and tried to settle down my tears, breathing heavily as I did so. There was no way I would ever be entertained by exploring decorous rooms. I wanted to travel to the outside world, to discover my true self and become the person I was meant to be. Living in a humongous palace made of worthless gold with limited space just wasn't my destiny.

"And don't say you don't have any friends," my mother continued in a soothing voice. "You also have Sofia. She's been a great friend to you your whole life."

"A maid and a friend aren't the same thing," I responded looking up at her.

"Oh, don't you say that," she said with a hint of playfulness in her voice. "Sofia's taken great care of you and she's just a good of friend to you as May is."

"So I can't go to her birthday party?" I asked again, even though I knew what her answer would be. But I had a bit of hope left in me to believe that she would change her mind.

My mother released me from her grasp and shook her head politely. "I'm sorry, my dear, but we really can't have you out in the village, not even with the guards around… not just because it's dangerous but because of the curse as well."

My eyes widened at the sound of the word "curse" and I took a step back involuntarily. The curse was something that everyone in the palace knew about. It was placed upon our palace long ago by a young man and his Dusclops, which was a frightening creature with a single red eye and long arms that always appeared to be grabbing for someone. According to the curse, there is supposed to be a mournful death for a young princess that is caused by a single man. So far, there have been no occurrences of death for any of the princesses that have lived in this palace, but my mother had informed me that the curse would continue to live on until there came a day when a princess did die by the hands of a dangerous man. That was the main part of the curse; the rest of it explaining the details was lost long ago, because the king from back then refused to let such a silly curse frighten the entire palace and therefore stopped it from being passed on to the next generation. However, the curse was too big a deal to be forgotten about, and so the main details of it still lived on. Because of that, my parents had been extremely watchful of me, never letting me the time to be alone, unless I was resting. Of course, I didn't actually believe in that curse… not entirely, but it did scare me from time to time. What I didn't understand was why the man who placed the curse on us did it in the first place. He couldn't have just done it for amusement. But of course, that part of the explanation was also lost over the years, so no one had any idea as to why it existed at all. My only guess was that it was out of revenge.

After remembering the details I knew of the curse, I calmed myself and glanced up at my mother who gave me a friendly smile.

"Dearie, you look exhausted. Why don't you head to your chamber and rest yourself for a bit: get these thoughts off your mind," she suggested. I slowly nodded, still upset that I couldn't go to May's birthday party, but maybe my mother was right. Maybe a little rest was all I needed. With a forced smile, I turned the other way and headed up the long flight of stairs to my bedroom.

When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was my maid, Sofia. She was tidying up my room, but quickly turned to face the door at the sound of it opening.

"Princess Brianna. You are back so soon. How did it go with your mother?" she said in a soft voice.

"She wouldn't let me go," I replied back as I slumped on my giant bed. The covers were exceptionally soft and fluffy, cushioning my fall as I buried my face in the king sized pillow.

"I'm so sorry, dear."

"It's okay," I mumbled back still keeping my head in the pillow.

"Would you like me to sing to you? So you may have a better rest?" Sofia offered in a light voice.

"Yes, please," I replied through my pillow. I turned my head to the side and spotted Sofia coming toward me. She took a seat on a small stool that lay beside my bed and then gently brought in front of her, a silver harp. The harp was about her height when she was sitting down, so it fitted her perfectly. I always loved to hear Sofia play the harp for me. She would play, as well as sing, many lovely songs for me, many that were lullabies. There was a certain song that I especially loved, and that was the one she began to play for me now.

As she gracefully plucked the strings of the harp, I found myself at ease; my troubles from before had left me and a feeling of freedom started to take its place. I closed my eyes, taking in the melodious tune and allowing my thoughts to wander elsewhere. I almost felt as if a part of me was leaving the very bed I was sleeping on at the moment: as if my soul was being lifted off into the sky. It was strange; that very feeling was always ignited whenever that song was played, but it didn't bother me too much because I enjoyed listening to it. Then, I heard the sound of Sofia's voice softly singing the melody of the song. The words were merely "la-la" though, for she claimed that she had forgotten the lyrics to that song.

When I had questioned her before about the song, she had mentioned that it was related to the "curse" that was placed upon this palace, although she couldn't remember much more than that. Apparently the song was passed to her from generation to generation, but because of the time lapse and the previous generations being forced not to do anything related to the curse, all of the lyrics had been forgotten. It was a shame really. I bet the song would've sounded even more beautiful with the lyrics added in even if it was about the curse. The song was already pretty eerie. It was actually a strange combination. The whole song itself was remarkably enchanting with a light layer added in that made it sound almost haunting. But all in all, it was still my favorite song.

As I lay in my comfy bed, Sofia was sweetly singing the chorus for the second time. And before I knew it, I was asleep.

* * *

><p>From a blurred image, a black scene suddenly faded before my eyes. There were voices in my head… but I couldn't seem to tell which direction they were coming from. I couldn't even make a distinction of what they were saying. They were just various noises that completely surrounded the air in which I was breathing in, if I was breathing at all. I blinked to see if anything would happen, if the scenery would somehow change, but there was no difference. The blackness wrapped around me like a blanket, and I suddenly felt trapped in the void.<p>

Then, there came a light whispering of a voice, so clear and airy that it seemed to be right in front of me.

"I'm here… get me out of here, my prince…"

I turned around, startled by the sudden voice that echoed throughout the darkness. And then, I realized… that little voice almost sounded… like me. But I could've sworn that my lips weren't moving at all. Frightened, I place a hand lightly on my lips only to find that they were abnormally cold. Without any further hesitation, I tightly shut my eyes and forced myself to wake up, for all of this was surely just a dream. But for some reason, I couldn't feel control of my own body anymore. The feeling in my fingers had started to go numb and then, I felt my lips moving, even though I wasn't controlling them. The last bit of feeling I had in my fingers gave me enough proof to conclude that it was me who was talking, and I heard the same soft voice from before whispering again.

"Can't I even dream…?"

* * *

><p>I awoke with a start, gasping for breath. Sofia wasn't in my room anymore but her silver harp was still beside my bed next to the little stool that she was sitting in before I drifted off to sleep. Placing a hand by my chest, I let out a sigh of relief and looked around the room. The place was as tidy as could be. Everything was neatly arranged and there was no sign of mess to be found anywhere. My eyes caught a glimpse of my large window on the right side of room. It was closed, but the curtains were open so that I had a clear view of the outside world.<p>

Wanting to get a closer look, I slowly slid off my bed and made my way to the window. I spotted the village immediately: the brown roofing on all of the houses and the large open area that numerous people passed through each day. A smile came upon my face as I admired my beautiful picture. Sometimes, I just wanted to reach out in front of me and jump into that picture to be where all the other villages were and where May was.

For some reason, the scenery seemed more appealing than usual, like it was calling out for me. I looked up at the sky, noticing that the sun was still high, and then gave a quick nod to myself before running to my wardrobe.

I quickly pulled open the doors of my wardrobe to reveal hundreds of clothes, all which were dresses. There had to be something in there I could wear to make me look like a normal villager. Within seconds, I was rummaging through all my dresses, trying to find the plainest one I had. After a couple minutes, I started to lose hope. All of the dresses were way too fancy to wear outside the palace walls. It definitely wasn't the best attire to wear if I wanted to remain inconspicuous in the village. With a sigh, I slumped to the ground where piles of dresses were laying all over the floor from when I was recklessly throwing them every which way. Just as I was about to start putting the dresses back on their hangers, an idea came to me.

I got to my feet in an instant and ran to my drawer right beside my wardrobe. Knowing to be cautious, I glanced around the room to make sure it was completely safe. There were no footsteps to be heard from outside my room, and so I proceeded to open the top drawer. I carefully brought out a pair scissors that were of great length and carried such a sharp point, that, for a second, I became frightened to keep my grip on them. However, I refocused my mind on the current situation and quickly ran back to my wardrobe. Picking up the nearest dress, I began to snip at ends and make holes with the ginormous scissors. Maybe if I rolled it around in the dirt without being seen, I would be able to make it appear less dainty. But before I was able to do any more damage to the dress, I heard a high-pitched voice from behind me.

"Princess! What on earth are you doing to your dress?"

The heavy scissors suddenly slipped from my hand, making a loud thud as it hit the floor. I turned around slowly to find Sofia at the foot of my door with her hands on her hips. However, she didn't look as angry as I thought she would. As soon as our eyes met, her arms quickly slipped down to her side and she knelt down beside me, looking at me with a sincere face.

"Are you trying to escape?" she asked me in her soft voice.

"No," I quickly replied for fear of what she would do now that she knew my plan.

"Don't lie to me, Princess. I don't blame you. All your life you've been trapped here in this palace. I know how much your heart longs to see the outside world," Sofia said in a gentle tone. I nodded my head, keeping an eye on her to make sure she wasn't trying to deceive me.

"If you want, I can lend you one of my old dresses from when I was still living in the village. Would you like that?" she continued in the same soft voice.

"Yes," I answered, my voice cracking as I did so. Sofia gave me a sweet smile and then headed for the door.

"I'll be back with the dress in a minute. While I'm gone, maybe you could fix yourself up so that you look more like a commoner. For instance, mess up your hair a bit." She left the room silently, leaving me alone with a pile of dresses at my foot. I decided to take her advice to make myself look more like a villager and started so by taking a look at my current self in a massive decorous mirror that lay on top of my drawer. I first took notice of my hair, a brilliant shade of red that was neatly curled in ringlets. Not knowing exactly what to do to it, I brought my hands up and gently tussled with my hair until all of the curls were put into a messy appearance. Then, taking an elastic band off the top of the drawer, I carelessly tied all of the curls back into a ponytail. After putting on a playful smile, I looked at my new appearance and gave a loud, disappointing sigh. There was no way I would be able to blend in with all the other villagers; I didn't know the first thing about being… normal. Did villagers tie their hair back into ponytails?

I took another glance at myself in the mirror, trying to figure out what else I could do to appear like a commoner, but before I was able to do anything else, Sofia came back into the room carrying with her, a long beige dress. It was certainly a lot simpler than all of my dresses I had. With a light smile, I ran over to her and took the dress from her arms.

"I didn't know what else to do to change my appearance, so I just tied my hair back," I said innocently.

"Don't worry so much about it, dear. No one outside the palace walls has ever seen you anyways, so it won't be such a big deal. Now, why don't you get changed; quickly too before we both get caught," Sofia responded as she was already helping me out of my dress I was in. Within seconds, I was out of my royal dress, and into a simple one. It was a bit big, but nothing too uncomfortable for me.

"Here," Sofia said, shoving a small sack into my hands, "I've packed some money for you to last a couple days. Take care of yourself, Princess."

"I will. Thank you, Sofia." I placed the sack into one of the pockets that was on the beige dress in which I was wearing and gave Sofia a quick hug before heading to the door of my room. There, I turned around to give Sofia a last glance before stepping out of my room.

"Princess!" she suddenly shouted. I peeked into the room again, wondering what else Sofia had to say to me. "Exit through the back where the garden is. Apparently, the guards are taking a break, so you should be able to slip out quite easily."

"Thank you," I said earnestly and then made my way silently to the back of the palace.


	2. The Village

**Author's Note:** Ok, I lied. Apparently I can't write short stories. Or if this is considered a short story it's a really long short story because I do a lot of describing which makes the story even longer. Hmm strange. The storyline was short, but with all the details added, it's become really long. So because of that, I will be uploading one more chapter after this one and hopefully that will be the last chapter. Thanks to all who read this!

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Village<strong>_

* * *

><p>When I reached the back of the palace, the first thing that caught my attention was the absence of guards. There wasn't a single guard in sight as I made my escape. It was all so strange. It was the first time in all my life that I didn't see guards at every corner of the palace. I was definitely not the type of person whom luck came to so easily, and I soon became suspicious about the situation. Then, I remembered Sofia and what she had told me before I left my chamber. <em>"Exit through the back where the garden is. Apparently, the guards are taking a break, so you should be able to slip out quite easily."<em> The words echoed back into my mind so clearly; I remembered every word she said and the tone of voice she had used when giving me that piece of advice. She said it so confident, as if she was a hundred percent sure that there weren't going to be any guards at this part of the palace. Well she was correct, but still, something didn't feel right.

As I turned the final corner leading to the garden, I spotted male two servants kneeling on the ground facing the wall. I immediately turned around and straightened myself against the wall, hoping that they didn't see or hear me coming. After a couple of seconds passed, I cautiously peeked out from behind the corner to check if the two servants were still there. They were. But something seemed wrong. It looked like they were crowding around something. I adjusted my position to get a better view of what was going on, and when I finally caught a glimpse, my eyes widened in shock. The two servants _were_ crowding around something or more accurately… some_one_.

"Is this the ninth death in the past minute?" spoke one of the servants in a low voice.

"It is. I'm afraid some disease has spread throughout the palace," the other servant replied in a whisper.

"A disease?" the first servant suddenly exclaimed in disbelief. "Nine deaths in less than a minute! There's obviously more than just a disease going around. If anything, it may have something to do with the curse!"

"You mean that old curse?"

"Yes that old curse. It may be old but it still lives in this palace. I just never thought it would affect other people."

"Me neither. What do you think will happen to the princess? Is she really going to die?"

"Don't say such things about the princess! Of course she won't die!"

"Then what do you think is the cause of the deaths for those nine guards? Is it really because of the curse?"

The first servant hesitated before answering, "I don't know. But something strange is going on here."

The walls that surrounded us suddenly felt alive, like they were listening to every word the two servants were speaking. But then, the hall grew quiet, and although I knew there wasn't anybody else around, I felt as if a hundred eyes were upon me, waiting for my next move. With that strange sensation crawling around the hall, I felt as my every movement was being made too loud, so I held my breath until I heard the voices speak again.

"We should probably report back to the king now," the second servant suggested.

"Yes. Let's head back. This place is starting to give me the chills," replied the other servant, and the two made their way in the opposite direction in which I was standing.

When I was sure that they were completely gone, I ran out from behind the corner and made my way to the gardens. However, as I ran past the dead guard that was slumped up against the wall, I suddenly sensed an eerie presence. It was a dark, tight feeling that made me feel trapped: almost like an evil spirit was trying to constrict me into the darkness. I caught a glimpse of the guard, who appeared to have been poisoned or something of the sort, for there was no mark of death written upon him. But as I passed his body, I noticed his head tilting up toward me, his lifeless eyes following me as I ran past. Frightened, I blinked and turned my head back to make sure I wasn't seeing things, but I completely regretted it. The guard's head was facing directly toward me, and I saw his lips move ever so slightly. I wish I hadn't have looked back. I wish I hadn't have comprehended the word he mouthed to me, but it was made out so clearly even if his lips were frozen and stiff. No matter how much I wanted to convince myself that he had said something else, I knew what he really said.

_Sofia. _

What did he mean by that?

* * *

><p>I was breathless when I finally reached the gardens. There were too many strange occurrences that had happened in less than a day, and that made me even more desperate to escape the place. The garden was huge, filled with numerous plants of every species. Even though many of the plants were quite beautiful to look at, I didn't feel safe staying around to enjoy its beauty. Without taking a final glance at my home, I quickly continued toward the exit, making sure not to look back; there was nothing but bad memories at the palace. And with the view of the village in sight, I became even more excited. Finally, I was free.<p>

* * *

><p>The village was smaller than I expected, but it was a good size for many people to live in. I walked down the streets of the village, admiring all the new things I had never seen before which was pretty much everything. It was all so different in the village. I would've never imagined village life to be as it was. All along the streets were shops that sold the most exotic items. They seemed rarer than the items we had at the palace. I wondered how much they cost: probably not so much with the money that I had on me.<p>

As I continued to walk, a young boy dressed in rags came up to me. His hair was all ruffled and dirty, and I suddenly felt bad for the small boy. I bet life was extremely hard for him.

"Excuse me, miss, but can you spare a coin?" the young boy asked in a gentle and innocent manner. His eyes grew large as he spoke and he tilted his head down as if to look like he wasn't trying to cause so much trouble.

"Of course," I replied with a caring smile. I reached for my sack filled with coins and was just about to reach for a coin when the young boy suddenly grabbed the sack from my hands.

"Thank you, miss!" the boy shouted as he ran off with my sack. My eyes widened in realization that I had just been deceived by what seemed to be an innocent little boy.

"Hey!" I screamed and then started to run after the boy. He was fast though. Too fast. There was no way I could catch up to him. But I needed my money back! Then, from afar, I saw the young boy run into another person, who appeared much taller than he was. The taller person grabbed the sack out of the little boy's hands and I could hear yelling from the distance I was at, but I wasn't able to make out the words. The little boy ran away after getting yelled at and I ran up to the person who took away from the sack of money from the boy.

"Hey, that's mine," I said as I tried to catch my breath.

"This is yours?" the other person questioned in a deep voice holding up the sack.

"Yes. The boy suddenly took it from me as I was going to give him a coin," I explained holding a hand out to take the sack away from the person.

"You shouldn't have done that. Everybody knows that you shouldn't trust other people in the village. There are a whole bunch of cheaters around," the person explained. Then, as I was thinking about how to explain to him that I wasn't from the village, I noticed the features of the man who was standing in front of me. What stood out the most to me was his hair, which was a hairstyle I hadn't seen before, especially on a guy. His hair was quite long and messy, but it was a cute sort of messy; and it was green! I found myself staring at the man's green hair in admiration, suddenly forgetting that I was supposed to be answering his question. I had never seen a guy with hair that color before, but I respected it greatly. Then, I came to my senses and noticed that the man was actually quite good looking. Could it be… love at first sight?

"You don't look like you're from around here," he suddenly stated eyeing me suspiciously.

"That because I'm not. I'm…" I started but then quickly caught myself. I couldn't tell a stranger in the village about my true heritage. What if he reported me and I was sent back to the palace? "I'm a traveller. I just arrived here not too long ago," I immediately recovered.

"No wonder," the boy said and then stuck a hand in his pants pockets. "I haven't seen you around these areas before."

I gave a nervous chuckle trying to avoid those emerald eyes of his. Another glimpse of them and I would truly be lost in them forever. "Well, thank you for saving my sack of money. I should be going."

"Where are you headed to?" the man suddenly asked. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned around. The questions he was asking me were simple questions, but I hadn't thought out my answers at all. But then I remembered about May and her birthday party. Now that I was in the village, I could go to her house. But travellers didn't go to birthday parties. I had to answer in a more subtle way.

"I'm going to a friend's house. Apparently it's her birthday today and so I decided to stop here since it was along the way of my travels."

"Did you want me to help you find her house?"

Then I realized something. I really had no idea where May's house was located in the village. May _did_ describe the house she was living in and the location of it on the letter of invitation, but because of all the stress that overcame me, that information was suddenly lost in my mind. But not wanting to cause the man any more trouble, I merely stated, "No, that's alright. I'll be able to find it."

"If you say so. Goodbye then." The man walked off in the opposite direction and I immediately regretted saying that to him. In truth, I really did want him to guide me to May's house. But then again, he might not have known where her house was located anyways. After taking two steps forward, I turned my head back to check if that man was still around. There was no sight of green hair anywhere. With a quiet sigh, I continued forward into the village. Since I had no idea where May's house was, I decided to make my way to the open area I always saw from my window. That place would surely be easy to find.

By the time I reached the area, I felt as if I had been meandering around the village. Was there really a purpose to my escape? It all seemed so much better when I had imagined it in my mind. Feeling tired, I took a seat in the center, where there lay a peaceful water fountain. I paid no attention to it though, for I was in a state of misery and loneliness once again. I felt as if nothing would be able to cure that wretched feeling.

I took another glance around the area, where people were slowly walking pass, and suddenly heard the sound of a girl's laughter come from nearby. I turned my head to the source of the sound and spotted a girl around the same age I was… and the man with green hair! My eyes widened in surprise and a part of me wanted to run up to him and greet him again. However, I restrained myself; he was with another girl, and behind them were more girls around the same age. I watched as they slowly made their way to the center area.

"What are you supposed to be? A mermaid lost in a desert?" said the man with the green hair.

"No! I'm a princess!" the girl shouted back. She was really pretty I'll admit, with medium length hair that shone a beautiful shade of brown when the sun fell upon it. Her outfit, however, was indeed quite strange, especially for the role of a princess. She had on a long, baggy, teal shirt with gray stockings and dark purple slippers; not something a princess would actually wear. I would know since I was the princess of the region. Then, upon her head was a matching teal tiara which looked cheaply made and there were also a number of selected necklaces, all of different lengths, around her neck. Even though it wasn't very royalty like, it sure did stand out, especially with all the different colors mixed together.

"Those are princess clothes? Where did you even get all those from?" the man said and then gave a flick of his green hair.

"My mother gave them to me! And don't judge my princess attire! If I was a princess, I would wear this too!" the girl yelled aloud, creating a lot of attention. I sadly shook my head. If she knew how the life of a real princess was, she would enjoy living in the village.

"Really, May. Princesses don't wear those kind of clothing."

"Says who? !"

I gasped at the sound of May's name being said and quickly turned my attention to the girl in the exotic clothing. Could it be? Was that girl really May? The May who was my childhood friend and possibly still my friend? I got to my feet and, without thinking, ran over to the group.

"May? Is that really you?" I asked, hoping that it really was her. The brunette gave me a confused look, but her eyes immediately widened, a smile came across her face.

"B-Brianna? Excuse me- Princess Brianna! Is it really you?"

I smiled back and we crashed into each other's arms, embracing one another so tightly that my body started to hurt. When we finally pulled away, I looked into her eyes. The familiar sapphire eyes I had first noticed ten years ago were still there.

"I can't believe it! Your mother actually allowed you to come to my birthday party today?" May said in excitement.

My smile was quickly replaced by a frown and I whispered back, "No. She didn't let me go. In fact, no one knows I'm here. Well, except for Sofia of course. She's the one who helped me to escape."

"What?" May exclaimed and then looked around to make sure no one was becoming suspicious of our conversation. She leaned in toward me and whispered, "Won't you get in big trouble if you get caught?"

"Don't worry. I won't get caught," I reassured.

"Princess huh?" came a familiar deep voice from beside me. My eyes met with emerald ones and I remembered that that man from before was right beside me. "So you're not really a traveller then?"

I stared at the attractive man with worried eyes. I shouldn't have lied to him before. Would he hate me now?

"Oh, Drew! Get over it! She had to lie to you so her identity wouldn't be revealed to the entire village by your huge mouth!" May defended and I suddenly felt better of myself.

"Me? You're the one with the loud mouth who won't shut up," the man, apparently named Drew, playfully stated back.

"Don't mind him, Pri- Brianna. Drew's always like this." May looked around her again, hoping that no one had heard her calling me by my status name.

"Oh… I see," I replied back in a shy voice as I held my hands together in front of me. I felt myself becoming more attracted to Drew, but with him being the person he was, I knew that many girls were probably attracted to him. Still, there was probably a good chance that he could like me. I _was_ the princess after all…

"So Brianna, my party is almost over but would you like me to introduce you to my other friends here?" May asked showing a hand to three other girls standing behind Drew. They all seemed to be caught up in their own conversation to notice I was here, which was probably a good thing. That way I was sure that they didn't hear our conversation we just had about where I was from.

"Um, sure!" I responded, trying to sound excited.

"Hey!" May shouted as she ran over to her friends. I followed behind, being sure to keep my distance from her friends. "Everyone, this is my friend Brianna. Brianna, these are my friends: Misty, Dawn and Leaf." She said, pointing to each girl as she introduced them to me.

"Hello," I said politely and gave a little curtsey. However, I soon realized what I had done and felt my cheeks flushing up. Normal villagers didn't curtsey when meeting new people… did they? I glanced up at May's friends who all looked a bit confused but continued to smile at me. After each of the girls said their greetings, we all sat around the water fountain talking about things normal people talked about. Even Drew came to join us, although I had no idea why. Maybe… just maybe he liked me too?

I tried not to get so involved with the conversations for sake of being discovered, but I made a few comments now and then that I hoped sounded casual enough. Conversing with May and her friends were very different than conversing with the people of the palace. Here in the village, they were talking so freely with so much energy, unlike the palace where my word didn't matter much to anyone.

After talking with May and her friends, I had found out that May's birthday party had taken place at her home, but May had urged her friends to go out into the village to mess around for a bit. So that was how they ended up at the large open area where they happened to run across Drew, who happened to be a close friend of theirs.

As I was laughing with my new friends, I made sure to glance over at Drew every once in a while. And every time I did, I noticed that he seemed to glance over at me too but only for a second, for he quickly turned his head away from me once our eyes met. For once in my life, I felt truly happy. I was with a group of friends where I didn't have to think about every single thing before doing or saying it, and was around a guy who could possibly like me back too. It was a wonderful feeling. However, it would've been even better if I was actually allowed to be here. As each second passed, I couldn't help but remain cautious in case I really did get caught. I had no idea what the punishment would be, but I knew that they would be harsher than the punishment ten years ago. I took in a deep breath and tried not to worry about it so much. I was already in the village, so there wasn't much to do about it now.

Then, I suddenly noticed that the sun was starting to lower in the sky and wondered where I was going to stay for the night. I couldn't go back to the palace so soon, not after all that happened. I stole another glance at Drew and found my eyes glued onto his profile. The way he smiled just seemed to lift my spirits and make my own mouth curve up to create a happy picture. I never wanted to let the image of him go. Then, one of May's friends suddenly spoke out. It was Misty.

"Hey, May! We almost forgot. There's one last present we have to give you for your birthday!" she exclaimed, her fiery orange hair glistening with the setting sun.

"Really? What is it?" May asked.

"Come on! We'll show you!" said Dawn in a high pitched voice. She was the girly-girl type of person and I enjoyed being around her. Before May had any time to protest, her three friends had already dragged her into the direction of the village and I was left alone with Drew. I quickly took notice of the situation and focused my eyes on the ground, trying not to look interested in Drew. It was extremely awkward. Was he looking over at me? I really hoped he was.

"So, while May and her friends are off opening last minute presents, did you want to go around the village?" Drew said taking a step toward me.

"S-sure," I stammered as I felt my heart beat faster.

He put on his irresistible smile and started for the marketplace. I followed alongside him, suddenly becoming interested in all the items that were being sold. It was still a busy place even as the day was coming to an end. Every now and then I looked over at my new friend, intrigued by his kindness and good looks. But I quickly looked away again, so as to not raise any suspicions about my feelings.

"You lied to me," came a low voice. My head darted up at the sound of Drew's voice to find him looking off into the distance.

"I'm sorry. But I couldn't tell you. I didn't know if I could trust you," I replied quietly.

"It's understandable," he remarked. His face looked so serious. I wondered if he was upset with me. A rush of possible reactions flooded my mind and I hoped he still liked me despite our awkward situation. Now was probably the best time to start a conversation, but what to say? I truly wanted to learn more about Drew. Maybe I could start out with simple questions.

As we neared the end of the marketplace area, I opened my mouth to ask a question; but before I could get out a single word, Drew suddenly pulled me over to a small, dark alley. His body was so close to mine that I could feel my entire face heat up with nervousness.

"So tell me. Why did you run away?" Drew whispered.

"Why?" I repeated in a shaky voice. I couldn't process my thoughts because of Drew's close presence and took a step back. To my surprise, Drew didn't come any closer to me or even attempt to take another step toward me. He probably just didn't want me to startle me anymore. The question he had asked me came back into my mind and I answered him honestly.

"I've never been outside of the palace before. I wanted to experience what it was like to live here. The palace is just full of people who like to give orders, follow orders and do nothing related to the definition of fun."

"I would imagine that being hard for you," Drew commented.

"Um- yes! It is!" I responded, a little too excited. Drew only smiled, creating a smile on my face as well.

"Where are you staying for the night?"

"Oh, I don't know yet…" I replied glancing at the ground.

"If you want, you could stay with me for the night," Drew offered.

"Could I?"

"Sure."

"Thank you so much, Drew!"

"Welcome!" came a crackly voice. It sounded like it came from behind me, but for some reason, I was scared to turn around.

"Hello…" Drew started and I noticed his eyes were focused on what was behind me. He probably didn't notice it before because of the darkness. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me, and I turned around to see an old man standing in front of what seemed to be a little store of his own. His store consisted of two stools that were placed side by side and a single crate that was used as a tabletop. On the crate were dozens of paintbrushes and small paint bottles, lined up neatly but in no particular order. Then, beside the crate was a large easel, where a thick, white, medium sized sheet of paper was placed. It was more of a mini art studio than a store.

The man who stood by it looked friendly. He had on a smile that was partially covered by his long snow white beard and mustache, but nevertheless, you could still tell he was smiling. He was pretty much bald and seemed like he had lived an incredibly long life.

"I'm known as the travelling painter. I go around painting portraits for people who I happen to come across. Would you two like a portrait together?" said the old man as he approached us.

"Uh, no. That's alright," Drew stammered and then gave a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, come now. I guarantee you that it will be a quite a masterpiece. I use the rarest materials for my paintings you know. My paint captures the essential beauty of people, showing colors that you wouldn't find anywhere else in the world."

"Is it really that good?" I asked, becoming interested in the painter and his work.

"Well… for the most part," the old man replied weakly. "The only issue is making sure it doesn't get wet. It must be something in the ingredients I use for the paint, and I can't seem to work it out right yet. So if even a single drop touches the surface of the paint, the whole picture could smear, and you wouldn't want that now, would you?"

"Sounds cheap. Let's go, Brianna," Drew stated coldly, probably thinking that the old man was some cheapskate who was in desperate need of money. My face softened as I heard Drew say my name for the first time, but I immediately came back to my senses.

"Ah, wait but…" I protested.

"My dear, I can tell that you're interested in this," the old man stated with pleasure. "Please, why don't the both of you take a seat on those stools over there? I'm very skilled with painting, so you'll only have to sit still for a short while."

Drew considered the offer and then asked, "How much is it?"

"5K."

"5K? ! Sorry, but we don't have the money." Drew grabbed onto my wrist and started to pull me away. However, a part of me felt the need to get the painting. It would be the only portrait of me and my love together. And if I had that with me, it would make me a bit happier providing me evidence that my escape from the palace wasn't a dream.

"Wait!" I cried out. "I have the money." I twisted my hand out of Drew's grasp and ran up to the man, handing him 5K from my sack of money.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed and put the money in his pocket. "Now, take a seat in those stools and I'll prepare for the painting."

Drew looked over at me in confusion, and I gave him a comforting look back. Hopefully he wouldn't hate me for this since I was the one paying for it. He didn't protest any more but remained silent as we both walked over to the stools and took a seat. As soon as we sat down, the painter announced that he was ready to paint and picked up a large paintbrush from his crate. He started to paint but then suddenly looked up.

"You two must be joking. I can't paint a picture of you two if you're sitting that far away from each other. Get closer."

Drew and I scooted our stools closer together. I could feel my cheeks warming up as I did so and wondered if the same thing was happening to Drew.

"Closer," the old man insisted. We obeyed him until there wasn't any more space between us. "There, perfect. Now, hold that pose. And smile!" He quickly went to work and I let out a deep breath that I realized I had been holding in when Drew and I were moving our stools.

It was the closest I had ever been to Drew now. Our bodies were so close to each other that they would've touched if one of us made the slightest movement. It was surprising that it didn't happen though, maybe because we were both uncomfortable of being so close to each other. I looked up at Drew from the corner of my eyes. He was staring intently at the painter, his face so stiff and emotionless. Did he not trust the painter as much as I did? Was it a waste of time to sit here getting a portrait painted by a mysterious traveller?

"Brianna," Drew whispered softly so that only I could hear.

"Yeah?" I whispered back, a warm feeling spread throughout me as he spoke my name again.

"We should head back to the center area after this is done. May and the rest of them are probably waiting for us."

I lower my gaze as I took in his words. He really didn't want to stay here any longer.

"Okay," I replied.

"Smile you two!" the old man said aloud, startling me. I twitched, feeling my arm come in contact with Drew's and I blushed intensely. Then, remembering what the painter had said, I shyly smiled, keeping my arm against Drew's arm. He didn't seem to mind, or if he did, he didn't do anything about it. My eyes wandered the dark alley until they came back to the familiar image sitting beside me. But Drew wasn't smiling.

As I refocused my eyes on the painter, I whispered to Drew, "You should smile."

He looked down at me with uncertainty and his gaze made me feel even more nervous. With a shrug, Drew turned his attention back on the painter and I could see a small smirk on his face. It wasn't a huge smile, but it was still better than a frown, and his action made me feel happiness inside of me. Feeling more courage building up, I leaned on Drew's arm and gently rested my head on his shoulder. Hopefully, the old man hadn't painted that part yet so he could capture the moment now. I couldn't see Drew's face, but I hoped he was smiling even more. I know I was.

After a couple of minutes passed, the painter gave a nod of satisfaction and put down his paintbrush.

"It is finished!" he announced proudly. "And is such a beautiful painting as well. I don't remember the last time I painted something this appealing." He gave a loud chuckle and then stated, "It must be because of the special feelings you two have for one another that I was able to capture such a delightful picture."

My entire body was heating up in embarrassment that I felt as if I was going to burst from excitement and embarrassment. The old man's words meant so much to me. Maybe Drew would confess his feelings for me soon. I closed my eyes, wishing the moment would last forever. The last thing I expected was for Drew to suddenly stand up, and when he did, my eyes shot wide open. Luckily I caught myself, but I was confused about why he did that without even warning me. Perhaps he thought I was prepared for his sudden action, or maybe he was just excited to see the finished painting, for he was making his way toward the painter. I quickly got up as well and ran over to catch up with Drew.

The finished portrait was absolutely stunning. There were several dark colors used, but they all looked so rich and pure. The background was the darkest shade of black I had ever seen in my life. It was an interesting choice for a background color, but I took a liking to it. Our hair colors stood out the most because of its unique shade of color. Red and green. On the portrait, it looked even brighter which I found to be very surprising. If there was one specific thing the old man was skillful in, it would be creating an image that appeared dark and bright at the same time. I couldn't believe that the wonderful portrait was actually ours to keep.

"It's amazing," Drew said shocked by the old man's artistic skills.

"It truly is!" I added. "Thank you so much for this!"

"It's no problem. This is what I do for a living," the old man responded.

"Well, we should be going now. Thanks for the portrait," Drew said quickly and started to make his way back to the public part of the village.

"Ah, in a rush I see," the old man observed. "Well, take care of the portrait. It's extremely delicate." He gingerly took the portrait off of the easel and I laid my hands out so he could transfer it to me. It was quite heavy from a normal piece of paper. Holding the piece of artwork with my own hands made me feel as if I had just discovered a rare treasure, which, to me, was true. That picture of Drew and I together was the most precious thing to me now.

"Um- thank you again! I really love it. I don't know how to thank you enough!" I said, possibly overdoing it a bit, but I was so grateful to that man.

"You're very welcome, my dear."

I gave the old man a last smile before turning around to catch up with Drew. But just as I turned my back to him, I heard a faint voice from him saying, "Don't be blinded by the affection in your heart."

I paused to ask what he meant by that, but when I looked back, he was gone. Just like that, he vanished, disappeared. Even his crate and all his art materials were gone. I frantically looked around for him. The alley was a one way route so even if he left, I would've been able to spot him leaving, but there was no sign of him. Then, my eye caught sight of something shiny from where his so called store once stood. I was about to go further examine it when I remembered Drew. He was already making his way out of the alley, but slowly, so I took the opportunity to run to the shiny object on the ground.

My eyes widened and I let out a gasp at what I saw. There, on the ground, was the 5K I had paid the old man for the portrait. It was the exact amount of money I had given him. He hadn't taken any of it with him to wherever it was he vanished off to. Cautiously, I bent down and took a single gold coin into my hand. It was no forgery. The money was definitely the same ones I had paid him. Why would someone leave all that money behind? Then, I realized what that meant. I had received the portrait for free. But after all the work the old man did for us, why would he just leave all the money? I placed the coin back down. I certainly couldn't take all that money back. With a final glance at the empty alley, I turned around to find Drew.

He was waiting for me just outside of the alley with his hands in his pockets.

"You ready to go back?" he asked me. I nodded my head, not wanting to answer back in words, not after what happened. From Drew's expression, I could tell that he didn't even notice that the old man had suddenly disappeared. We walked alongside each other in silence. I clutched the portrait tightly, trying to process everything into my mind. There were too many strange things happening. Something definitely wasn't right.

"Hey, Drew!" a high pitched voice shouted from a distance. We both raised our heads and caught sight of Misty, Dawn and Leaf running toward us.

"Hi you guys," I greeted once they reached us.

"We were looking all over for you!" said Leaf as she took in deep breaths.

"Yeah, May was beginning to wonder where you guys went," Dawn added in, fixing her hair as she did so.

"I was just showing her around the village," Drew explained.

"Well, you should go back to the center area where May is. She's waiting for you," said Misty.

"Sure thing," Drew replied and gave a small wave before heading off in the direction of the center area. I was about to cry out for him to wait for me when Misty suddenly blocked my path.

"Hey, can we ask you something?" she said eyeing me suspiciously.

"Um-I guess," I stuttered.

"Are you in love with Drew?"

"Answer honestly or else we'll report you to the guards," Leaf added.

"What?" I shouted in bewilderment. "You guys know about—?"

"Yes, we know," Dawn confirmed. "May told us about you. Well, just that you're from the palace. In fact, that was why we took May all of sudden: to talk to her about you."

"Don't get us wrong. It's not anything bad. We just wanted to know more about who you were and if you were in love with Drew. And we didn't want to ask you because we felt it would be too personal for you," Leaf said in a kind tone.

"So are you in love with Drew?" Misty asked again.

I bit my lip, my heart pounding in my chest as I thought of how to reply. Why did they need to know so badly as to threaten me? I tightened my grip on the portrait and felt courage rising up within me. Whatever words come out would come out, and there was nothing to stop it. If they wanted the truth, they would get it.

"Yes!" I said raising my voice. "Yes, I am in love with him! Do you have a problem with that?"

My words must've taken the three girls by surprise because they all flinched. They all looked at each other and finally back at me again.

"Princess, I didn't know you were that in love with him," said Misty with a caring expression.

"Well I am! And the next time I see Drew again I'm going to tell him how I feel!" I shouted in annoyance.

"Whoa there," said Leaf, "You can't do that, Princess."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused and annoyed by their talk.

"Look, we didn't want to break it to you so sudden because we noticed that you seemed to like Drew, but you see…" Dawn started, but then hesitated, trying to think of a good way to put it.

"What?" I inquired with an angry tone.

"May and Drew like each other," Leaf blurted out, unable to keep the fact inside her for any longer. My heart sank as I heard those words. I almost dropped the portrait in my hands because of the shocking news, but managed to keep hold of it somehow.

"Yeah. They've been showing signs of it for almost six years now, but Drew's been too slow to confess to her and May's kind of dense –no offence-, but you can tell she has feelings for him," she added in a casual tone of voice. I didn't need to hear any more. I couldn't. Hearing that they liked each other was already too much for me to handle. They didn't really show it when I was around them. Maybe the teasing was part of it, but I only took it as teasing, not anything more.

"I'm sorry, Princess. But you can't have him," Misty comforted, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off roughly and diverted my gaze from the three girls. What was I to do now? I couldn't let go of Drew just like that.

"Who says I can't have him?" I muttered.

"What?" said Leaf.

"I'll still love him no matter what!" I yelled as my eyes began to water up. That reaction took them off guard and they all looked at other with worriment, trying to figure out what to do next.

"That's fine, Princess. You can still love him, it's just that you won't be able to be with him," Leaf said, but Misty quickly gave her a light punch. "What?" she whispered to Misty, but Misty shook her head as a sign that she shouldn't have said that.

"Princess, take my advice and try to get over him, because he and May were meant for each other. Yes, I know, it hurts, but you'll get over it soon and find a guy who's perfect for you and will actually love you back. In fact, Drew was going to confess to May today when we were in the center area, but you came along and for some reason, he didn't do it. Maybe it was because a newcomer was there so he didn't want to be rude," Dawn explained.

I shut my eyes tighter, forcing the tears to stay put. Why? Why did they have to tell me all that? The truth was powerful enough alone. I didn't need to hear any explanations, not when they supported Drew and May liking each other. Then, I heard whispering from Misty to the two other girls.

"I told you two not to be so harsh!"

"We're just trying to help her!" Dawn whispered back.

No more. I didn't want to hear any more from them. Without a second thought, I ran off blindly, hugging my sacred picture. I only opened my eyes to help me navigate my way back to the center area. I don't know why I went there. Maybe I wanted to see Drew one last time, maybe I just wanted to go to a familiar place again. But what I saw when I reached the place, was the last thing I wanted to see.

Near the water fountain, was May and Drew _kissing_.

There was so much emotion in their kiss from what I could see, and even though it tore me apart to watch them, I couldn't take my eyes off of the scene. I merely watched my dream world being taken over by my first and closest friend. The way Drew held onto her, his hands gently placed around May's slim waist, the way he kissed her, the way May kissed him back… I felt my world being shattered into pieces.

The two lovers finally broke the kiss, not that it mattered much to me anyways. A broken heart couldn't be materialized so easily. Then, May looked my way and smiled brightly.

"Brianna!" she cried out happily and then ran up to me. "Guess what! Drew and I are dating now!"

Was she stupid? Could she seriously not tell that I had feelings for Drew as well? I wanted to scream at May, to tell her that Drew was _mine_, but I restrained the urge to do so.

"That's… great May," I said with a weak smile. It took so much effort to get those words out, especially with Drew standing nearby.

May seemed confused by my reaction, probably expecting it to be much more cheerful. Then, she took notice of what was in my arms.

"What's that you have there?" she asked with that dorky smile of hers.

"Nothing," I said bluntly. I couldn't let May see that picture of me and Drew together. It was the treasure between me and Drew; I didn't want anyone else admiring our beautiful portrait.

"Can I see it?" May tried again.

"No!" I shouted almost immediately and a lot louder than I expected to. That caught May off guard. She slowly backed away and put on a nervous smile.

"…ok then… whatever you say."

I glared at May. She really had no idea how I felt. But I wasn't going to tell her. She was already all lovey dovey with my dream man. Why would she care if I had feelings for him?

Just then, Drew walked over to us, slightly confused by our conversation.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, more to May than to me.

"Huh?" said May, surprised by his sudden appearance. She turned to see Drew by her and smiled uncontrollably. "Yeah, everything's fine," she assured. What a doofus. Why was I ever friends with her in the first place?

They two continued to smile happily at each other, ignoring the fact that I was right in front of them. It was disgusting. Then, I realized that my anger was taking the place of my sorrow, for anger was the only feeling I felt at the moment. But what was I to do with that emotion? If I tried to hurt May, Drew would only protect her and then yell at me, and I definitely didn't want that to happen. Instead, I remained frozen in place, my mixed emotions boiling up inside me, just waiting to explode. How long could I keep it up?

"Hey you guys!" a voice said from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to justify that it was Misty. Her voice was easy to tell apart from others. Dawn and Leaf came along too and went to greet May and Drew.

"Misty, Dawn, Leaf! Drew and I are dating now!" May exclaimed. I felt a horrid pain shoot through me again. That girl just wouldn't shut up! We all already knew the truth. We knew what happened to them. I didn't need to continuously hear about it!

"Finally!" Leaf said with an exasperated sigh. "So tell me about it, May." The group made their way to the water fountain, discussing May's relationship. I tried as hard as I could to block out the conversation. It wasn't happening. It just wasn't happening. I was the princess! Didn't I get everything I wanted? _No_, I thought back to myself. _Even in the palace, my desires were limited. _Life was so unfair!

I took another glance at my portrait in my arms. It was still as beautiful as I remembered it. We looked so happy there, but that happiness was torn by my "friend", May. I wonder… did Drew ever have feelings for me? He must've!

Then, I realized that Misty was still beside me and had stolen a glimpse of my painting. I quickly brought it to my chest, hiding the image, but I knew it was too late. She had already seen everything, all the dark colors blended together creating a masterpiece work of art. Misty stared at me with a soft smile on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. Maybe you should go now," she said quietly.

_Go where?_ I thought. There was nowhere for me _to_ go; guards were dying in the palace; my love was taken away from here in the village. There was no secure place I could go to.

"Go!" Misty insisted, "So that you won't have to bear any more pain from seeing the two of them together."

She was right, but her voice sounded so persistent, as if she was annoyed by my appearance trying to interfere with May and Drew. I started to run off in a random direction. It didn't matter where I went anymore. I was no longer accepted anywhere. But before I could take off completely, Misty added in a low tone, "And maybe you should dispose of that portrait too. It'll only cause you more pain seeing a picture of the guy you love but you'll never get."

I didn't turn around to reply back to her. No more words could escape from my mouth and I ran off not feeling anything anymore. The scenery of the village flew past me in a blurred image as I hustled my way out. I didn't want to stay here any longer. As long as I was away from the horrible village, I would be okay… maybe.

It wasn't long before I reached the outskirts of the village. I was overly exhausted, not only from all the running but from the twirling of emotions inside of me that didn't know how to express themselves. What was I feeling now? Anger? Sorrow? ... Love?

I slowed to a stop and collapsed on the ground, and as I did so, my painting fell from my hands, landing with the picture side facing up. Once again, I saw the wondrous picture right in front of me. But this time it appeared different. I noticed then that a part of Drew's hair seemed to be smudged. Knowing to be careful, I lay a finger on the smudged part and felt that the surface of the portrait was wet. Oh-no. The old man warned me about what would happen if it got wet. Was it raining? I quickly raised my head, but there were no signs of raindrops. Storm clouds began to move into the sky, along with its gray colors, but no rain yet. Then what caused the drop of water on my portrait?

As I pondered the thought, I felt something irritating in my eye. My hand went to wipe whatever it was away and when I did, I noticed that my hand was wet as well. _What are these?_ I glanced down at my sacred treasure again to notice that it was only becoming wetter. Drops of water were falling upon it at an incredible rate; there seemed to be no end to it.

"Drew…" I whispered as I touched his face on the portrait. The paint smeared almost instantly when I came in contact with it, but I didn't care. The picture was still so beautiful in my mind. What would a little smear do to it? But then, I remembered May, and how the two of them looked so happy together and that small remembrance broke the final string of endurance I had within me.

The tears that I tried so hard to hold back had burst from my eyes, shedding every drop of purity onto the painting. And our frozen image continued to smile. _He _continued to smile at me as my tears penetrated my imaginary dream world that the illustration displayed.

I cried aloud, as obnoxious and loud as I could to remove that awful feeling that resided in my heart. But how could one possibly throw away the feeling of love when it was permanently branded into your heart already? It wasn't possible…

Who knows how long I was there, allowing my soul to pour out of me with every tear of existence. Time was only a meaningless matter that told of how long you had wasted your life. What was a moment's time going to do to me?

"Princess Brianna?" came a scratchy voice from nearby. It was a deep voice that sounded like an older man, so I knew it couldn't be Drew. Why would it be him anyways…?

Forcing myself to look back, I found a palace guard dressed in silver armor making his way toward me. For some reason, I was glad to see him even though he served for the king. He was someone I was used to seeing, and I found myself running to him and wrapping my arms around him as I continued to cry aloud. The guard, not knowing what to do for the awkward situation, simply put his arms around me for comfort.

"Princess, what are you doing all the way out here?" he asked pulling me away from him so he could see my face. I was probably a horrible sight to look at. Trying to seem more presentable, I quieted my sobs but didn't answer him. If I tried at all to speak any words, it would only come out as an unattractive muffle.

"Oh, never mind that now," said the guard, "Come on. Let's get you back to the palace. You're going to catch a cold if you stay here any longer and continue crying so hard too might I add."

The guard laid a hand on my back and led me down the dirt road leading to the palace. He took two steps and suddenly stopped.

"What's this?" he said bending down to pick up the portrait of me and my forbidden love. I immediately reached out for the portrait, holding it close to my chest. The guard didn't seem to mind one bit. In fact, he gave me a friendly smiled and took the lead once again. "For now, let's head back to the palace. We'll have to see what your father has to say about this."

I followed close behind him, quietly crying to myself as I kept the painting near my chest. Now, I was heading back to the palace, where punishment was the only thing that waited for me. It wouldn't be so terrible though. Nothing was more painful than having my first love fall in love with my first friend. And who was I in that love story? What magical role did I play? It was the annoying, little girl who was crazily lovesick over Drew. Did my part even matter at all? Was I just the antagonist? Maybe… just maybe… it would be better… if I ceased to exist in this world.


	3. The Last Dream

_**The Last Dream**_

* * *

><p>The guard led me to the throne room where my father (the king) was discussing what seemed to be an important matter with my mother. When they noticed that I was in the room, their conversation quieted down to a whisper until finally, silence filled the room. I stood behind the tall guard, trying to hide my presence from my parents. Seeing my parents again suddenly made me apprehensive of the punishment that awaited me. The thought of them hadn't given me any worry, but being in their vicinity where their stares could reach me reminded me just how strict my parents could be.<p>

"You've found our daughter," the king finally spoke. His voice was soft, but the empty air carried out his voice so that it resonated throughout the humongous room.

"She was just outside of the village," the guard responded.

"Thank you. If you could please leave us now, that would be greatly appreciated."

The guard gave a quick nod of his head being sure to remain respectful, and then walked out of the room, his armor shingling at every step he took. Then, it was only me and my parents in the room, and I suddenly felt afraid. I was a complete disaster from crying, and the portrait I had received from the village was still tucked in front of my chest. What would they do to me now that they saw my horrible appearance?

"Brianna…" my mother started her voice as strong as ever. My eyes shut tightly as fear ran inside of me. How long were they going to keep acting? I knew that deep inside they were furious at me for disobeying their rules. When the seconds passed and my parents weren't shouting yet, I slowly opened my eyes, giving them a worried look.

My father sighed and stated, "Princess, you probably know what we're going to say, so we're not going to give you the whole lecture."

"Okay," I replied in a whisper, but my voice was so small and soft that I wondered if any noise came out at all.

"What happened in the village?" my mother asked. I could tell that she was trying to keep as calm as possible, but her body was twitching in a way that I knew she was extremely angry at me.

"I met a boy," I answered without thinking and quickly put a hand over my mouth. Why did I say that? Now they were going to be even angrier at me. Why didn't I just say I went to May's birthday party? I was so stupid!

My mother started toward me, her face scrunching into a shocked look. "You met a boy?" she slowly repeated in a high pitched voice. "And what did you and this _boy _do?"

"W-we just talked," I stammered, tightening my grip on the portrait. The pain of rejection ran though me again and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

"I can't have my daughter go sneaking off into the village and then doing irresponsible things with some boy! And what's this?" She quickly walked up to me and snatched the portrait out of my hands before I could have any time to take in the moment.

"No!" I shouted, reaching out for my portrait, but she already had it in her hands.

"Is this a painting of you and the boy?" she asked, giving me a look of disapproval. She held the picture out in front of her, finally taking a good look at the painting, and I saw her eyes rise up in surprise. "Why, this is a disaster! Whoever painted this was a terrible artist. The whole painting is smudged!"

"My dear, I think that may be because of our daughter's tears," the king said as he came toward us.

"Look at it!" the queen shouted as she held the portrait to his face. Her partner gingerly took the painting into his hands. His eyes scanned the artwork with efficiency, but his face remained emotionless.

"The boy is quite handsome," my father stated as he lowered the painting. "I believe this portrait means a lot to her."

"She is to never see him again! Just give her the punishment already!" The queen picked up the ends of her dress and stormed out of the room. I couldn't believe her. Why was she always pretending to be nice and then end up acting so strict and careless? I tilted my head down in shame. It was time for my punishment and I braced myself for whatever that would be.

As soon as the queen left the room, my father walked up to me, handing over the messy painting. He bent down to my level, and my head rose up to meet his gaze. I noticed that his eyes were full of a warmness that was carried throughout his soul. He was almost the complete opposite of my mother.

"If you want, you can keep this with you as I lead you to your new room," he spoke in a gentle tone. I took the painting into my hands, not caring to take a second glance at it. Then, my father led me out of the room and into the hallway of my chamber. However, instead of making his way into my bedroom, he walked past it and started up the stairs to the next floor.

The next floor was considered as the abandoned hallway. No one ever went up there and the servants and maids had stopped cleaning the chambers since no one stayed there anyways. I imagined that it would be completely filthy by now, covered with cobwebs and heavy dust. What a disgusting place that would be to live in.

But then it occurred to me that if we were headed in that direction, chances were that_ I_ was going to have to stay there for who knows how long. At the thought of that, I slowed my walking until I came to a complete stop right in front of my old bedroom door.

I cautiously glanced into the room for no particular reason. My eyes scanned the familiar room and immediately caught sight of a young woman. Sofia! The sight of her lifted my spirits for a split second and I almost ran up to her to greet her… but I didn't.

Something about the way she was standing made me cautious of her. She was facing my window with her back to me, just like the way I had always stared out the window when I was admiring the village scenery. For a moment, the scene was almost… frightening. Then, as I was about to call out her name, her head turned just enough so that she could see me from the corner of her eyes. Her lips mouthed something inaudible that I couldn't comprehend what she was trying to say. I only stared at her in confusion as her lips continued to move.

"…dream…" I heard her whisper, but her voice was still too soft to hear what she was telling me. I intensified my stare at her, somehow hoping she would speak up; but nothing changed until a sudden chill overtook my body and a feeling of fear entered my mind as I gazed into her dark, menacing eyes. She didn't appear to be the same Sofia I had known from my childhood. This Sofia was an entirely different person. Without bothering to ask her any questions, I made a run for the stairs trying to catch up with my father again. As I ran, I heard a light voice that echoed as it surrounded me.

"…can't I…even… dream…?" The voice sounded like Sofia's but more ghostly, as if her soul was lingering nearby and was trying to haunt me. I shut my eyes, now running blindly forward until I bumped into something. My eyes opened to see my father in right of me. He turned around, not bothering to care that I had just run into him and gestured a hand to an open door.

I peered inside to see a room ten times worse than I had imagined it to be. Every single object was blanketed with a thick layer of dust and the entire room was surprisingly dark. Only a huge window allowed for any sort of light into the room, and I wondered if any of the light rays could even pass through the dirt infested window.

"You'll be staying in here until I tell you, you can come out," my father spoke in a deep voice.

I turned around to face him. "How long will that be?"

"I don't know yet."

My eyes widened at the fact that I could be staying in that room for weeks. "But father—!" I tried to protest, but he stopped me with his loud voice before I could say any more.

"The punishment could've been a lot worse, Princess!"

I let out a weak cry fixing my eyes on my father, and I noticed from his behavior that he didn't want to do this anymore than I did. Finally, he turned his attention to me. Giving me a light push toward the room, he whispered, "Forgive me, Princess. It wasn't my idea to do this to you. Sofia insisted that this be your punishment. Surprisingly I had no say in it. Your mother… she agreed to it almost instantly and Sofia… she had this… this look in her eyes, like she was going to kill me if I refused to do this. I know she's just a maid and I have more power over her but… well, if you think about it, it really isn't as bad as it seems. You're not even being brutally hit or anything of the sort, and I promise you that I'll let you out in a few short days."

"Father…" I started in a soft voice. He stood up tall and headed for the door.

"Wait!" I cried out and ran up to him, clutching his clothing so that he couldn't move without taking me with him. "Please, I don't want to stay here in this room. I'm scared."

My father gently removed my hands from his clothes. "Do not worry, Princess. The palace is perfectly safe. Even in the dirtiest of rooms I assure you, nothing bad will happen to you."

"You're lying!" I shouted, "What about all those guards dying in the palace? You still consider this place safe?"

I saw my father blink in shock. He probably never meant for me to find out about any of that.

"Please!" I tried again, my voice choking up. "I don't want to stay here. Let me go back to my old room."

"I can't do that, Princess. Just know that you'll be safe in here," he stated firmly before slamming the bedroom door.

"No!" I screamed as I ran up to the door, the palms of my hand rapping at the door so I could be released from this dirty prison. The door wouldn't budge. I knew then that I was going to be stuck in this dark room by myself for a long time. What was promised to be a few short days, would feel like dreaded long months.

I sank to the floor, sobbing either quietly or loudly to myself. I couldn't tell. It didn't matter anyways. It seemed like nothing good ever came out of living a luxurious life. Even royalty had its problems. There was no way to escape sadness and fear when it had already succumbed to the body of my being.

As I slowly turned around, my eyes fell upon something bright on the dark floor. I soon realized that it was my portrait of me and Drew when we were in the village. I must've dropped it and not noticed that it had fallen because of the fear of staying in this room alone! Looking at the picture once again, I quickly spotted our bright hair colors, still vibrant and rich like before despite the darkness in the room; and a single glance at that picture was enough to silence my cries for a moment.

The portrait was mesmerizing. Our smiling faces looked so happy; a feeling that had left me as quickly as it came. However, as I wiped away the tears that had settled on my bottom lids, I noticed that the painting suddenly had a different appeal to it. The beautiful masterpiece I saw earlier had changed into smudged paint on paper. It no longer seemed to contain the magic it had before, just like everything I thought I had gotten… which had suddenly disappeared right before my eyes.

With a sigh, I threw the painting across the room blindly so that it lay somewhere in the dark unknown area of the room. I didn't know what to feel anymore. All of the emotions that were inside me found their way out, maybe through my tears, and had left me feeling nothing.

After a long moment of sitting on the dusty floor, I stood up. I didn't have to force myself to do it; I felt as if my body was taking control of itself, that it knew what it needed: rest. Standing before the old bed, I hastily swept the dust off from the bed with my hand. Thousands of dust flew off when I collapsed on it, polluting the air, but of course I didn't mind. Why would I when I had problems that were worse than living in a filthy room?

I didn't want to think about anything anymore. As I lay on the dusty bed, I felt my eyes growing droopy and I shut them to prepare myself to be taken over by sleep. I didn't need to wait long. It came soon after I had shut them and I wished that I could've been in that state of nothingness forever.

* * *

><p>I awoke the next morning against my own will. What part of my body was to blame for the resurrection of my mind? I would've preferred to remain in my deep slumber than to have wakened to this nightmare world.<p>

My eyes remained closed, afraid to view the outside world. All I wanted was to stay motionless on my bed in the dark, silent room. Hopefully, nothing would bother me here.

As I continued to lie on the bed, my ears detected a soft strumming. It was a light sound, and each strum produced a different pitch. Such beautiful… music! I soon realized that it was the harp that Sofia always played for me. At this recognition, my eyes shot wide open, and my body twitched so sharply that the entire bed shook, causing more dust to become exposed to the air.

I listened more intently to each note that was being played until each note became a melody and soon after, a song: my favorite song. The one Sofia always played and sang for me. I could hear it faintly through the thick walls of the palace; the beautiful sound of the harp and Sofia's lovely soprano singing made my mind go blank. I soon settled myself as I took in the words from the magical song.

Wait… words?

My eyes shot open in an instant. I quickly jumped out of the bed and ran to the door. Kneeling by the foot of the door, I pressed my ear against it, hoping the sound quality would improve. Sofia's voice wasn't any louder, but I heard just enough to justify that she truly _was_ singing the song with lyrics! Had she suddenly remembered them? Had she just made some up? Had she always known them…?

Before I would come to a conclusion, the door suddenly opened, revealing a tall guard in shiny armor. I looked up at him in confusion, and then realized how sloppy I appeared. With a faint blush, I made an attempt to stand up, but the guard spoke out before I could get to my feet.

"I was ordered to deliver you breakfast today." He made his way around me and took a seat by the wall, holding up a tray full of food and drinks. I gave a nervous glance to the guard but then realized that it was the same guard who had found me outside of the village. Feeling a bit safer, I took a seat by him and wrapped my arms around my knees. The guard set the tray by my feet, but I made no attempt to touch it.

"You're not hungry?" he asked.

"No. I don't want to eat," I answered softly. The guard gave a light chuckle.

"Well that's not good. I guess I brought up all that food for nothing then," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice. He was probably trying to lighten up the mood, but I couldn't find any energy to let out even the tiniest smile.

"I'm sorry," I replied weakly.

The guard smiled at me before saying, "Why don't you try eating the bread? It's good for you."

"No. I'm really not in the mood to eat right now."

"How about drinking then? A little water isn't going to hurt you now, will it? It might be refreshing," he insisted.

I gave a sigh and took the cup of water into my hands. It felt heavy between my delicate fingers but I kept my grip on it as I took a tiny sip from the cup. The water was more refreshing than I imagined it to be and surprisingly, I found myself drinking the entire cup. When I finally put it back onto the tray, the guard smiled brightly at me. I wanted so badly to smile back, but my body didn't seem to agree with me, so I kept a straight face at him.

Because of that failed attempt, I tried to start a conversation to make the awkward feeling go away. I took notice of a glass cup full of a dark red drink in his right hand, so I made a small comment on that.

"Is that for you?" I asked diverting my eyes away from him.

"This?" he replied holding up the cup. "Yeah, I guess it's for me. I don't really know what it is though. Sofia just handed it to me while I was making my way here."

"Sofia gave it to you?" I questioned, now intrigued that my maid was a part of our conversation.

"That's right. She's such a kind lady."

Sofia giving the guards a drink? That didn't sound at all like her. What was she trying to do to the guards?

"But you know… sometimes she can be a bit… frightening," the guard added when I didn't reply back. "She gives you this look with her eyes, and for a second you feel like you're frozen in time, you know what I mean?"

I hesitated before answering, "Yes." I knew exactly what he meant. So I wasn't the only one who felt that when she stared at me. My father had also mentioned before that he had felt that too. But why? I pondered the thought, but I couldn't figure out any explanation as to why. She had just become an enigma to me.

Then, I realized what my father had said to me before he locked me in the room. _"Forgive me, Princess. It wasn't my idea to do this to you. Sofia insisted that this be your punishment…"_ It didn't make any sense! Sofia was the person who had helped me escape from the palace. Then why was she the person who decided my punishment? Was she trying to deceive me from the start?

"I heard the Queen mumbling something about you meeting some boy in the village. Is that right?" the guard suddenly spoke out.

My whole body twitched at the sound of the news that I had tried to forget. I didn't want to remember any of that. Why did he have to bring that up?

As if he had read my mind, the guard gave an apologetic look and then let out a small sigh.

"Your situation reminds me of an old legend I once heard," he stated looking off into the distance. "I first heard it from Sofia actually, back when I was a young boy training to be a palace guard," he continued giving me no choice but to listen to him.

"A man around your age fell in love with a beautiful princess. Surprisingly, the princess loved him back and the two were very happy together. However, they always met in secret because they were afraid to be seen together. Royalty and Commoner… it's constantly being enforced to being unacceptable, so of course it was difficult for them to ever imagine to end up together."

I listened more attentively to the guard as he spoke his story. It was certainly an interesting love story.

"Before long, the time had come when the princess had to get married," he continued in a steady tone. "It was one of those days when the two lovers decided to proclaim their engagement plans to the princess's parents: the Kind and Queen."

"Her parents refused to let them get married," I spoke in a gentle tone, knowing that it was the most likely to happen.

"Sadly, yes," the guard responded. "But the King and Queen were violent with their response, and that made it worse for the lovers to keep their love strong. Finally, the princess stopped seeing the man, and that made the man worried.

"After a week's time of not being able to see his princess, he made a visit to the palace, where the King had informed him that his daughter was engaged to a prince that was far better than he was, and that they were in the princess's chamber room, not to be disturbed. The young man couldn't believe his ears, but he knew the King wouldn't lie of that. Anger and sorrow passed through his body as he took in the news. His life had been taken away from him. And so with the last of his energy he summoned a prophecy that a future princess would die of a similar death as he did. And right after he spoke those words, he passed away."

"That sounds like the curse that we have here in the palace," I commented with fear behind my voice. The guard gave me a surprised look and blinked a couple times probably trying to put the information together.

"Is it the curse?" I inquired.

"I have no idea. I just remember Sofia telling me that it was an old legend. I never expected anything more from it," he replied. He obviously hadn't heard much about the curse of the palace. Not surprising though since it wasn't discussed about at all.

"It sounds exactly like it, but with more details in it."

We exchanged glances, probably realizing what that meant for me or for all of us.

"W-well…" the guard started.

"Maybe it won't happen," I stated, trying to sound calm. "I mean, you did say it was a legend so that means it's not really true."

"Right," he agreed and then slowly got to his feet. "Well, I've stayed a large amount of time in here. I should get back to duty now."

"Back at the village?" I asked not wanting the guard to leave so soon.

"No, here in the palace. We've lost too many guards to have any go to the village at the moment."

I kept my gaze at him, hoping that he wouldn't leave yet, but he continued toward the door.

"Eat your breakfast, alright Princess?" he said and then took a sip of his drink.

"I-I will!" I stammered. He closed the door tightly behind him and I was left alone in the dark dusty room again. But seconds after the guard left, I heard a terribly loud scream coming from outside my room.

"It's Sofia!—Princess!"

I immediately rushed to the door, banging on it with my fists so I could be let out.

"What? What is it? Let me out so I can help you!" I yelled with fear in my voice.

"P-poisoned…" I heard the guard mutter, and then he started screaming for help.

"Are you alright? Let me out! Please!" I begged, banging harder and louder on the door, but the door wouldn't open.

Within seconds I heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and then stopping before my room. The screaming had died out so that only silence filled the empty air. My hands automatically stopped making noise, but I could feel my body trembling in fear and worriment for the kind guard. What had happened to him?

"He's dead," I heard a low voice speak from outside my door. I flinched at the sound of the voice, trying to persuade myself that he wasn't dead. He wasn't! I gingerly brought a hand by my lips. How could this happen? He was alive just a minute ago!

The doorknob beside me turned, but I was afraid to look out. When I finally did, I saw in the hallway, my father, the remaining guards we had left… and Sofia. I wondered where my guard friend was and tried to look for him, but my father stood in my way.

"Don't look, Princess," he said in his deep voice. But that made me even more terrified. I couldn't believe that all my friends were slowly leaving me. Again, loneliness tried to become my world, but I didn't want to accept it.

"Do you know what happened?" my father asked me.

"He said something about… 'poisoned'. His drink or something," I answered cautiously.

"That would explain the fluid on the ground. Did he tell you who gave it to him?"

My eyes immediately turned to Sofia in a subtle manner. She appeared more concentrated on what lay on the ground than what my answer was, but I knew she was curious of how I would reply back.

"I don't know. He didn't say."

"Ah, I see. Nevertheless, we most certainly have a traitor inside the palace. Guards! Clean up this mess and then search the area again! We must find this traitor before she— or he kills someone else." I saw him glancing over at Sofia with a suspicious look in his eyes, but then quickly walked away.

The rest of the guards all left carrying the motionless guard. They surrounded him completely though so I couldn't get a good look at him. Soon it was just me and Sofia alone in the abandoned hallway. We stared at each other in silence: my tired, worried eyes against her dark, cold ones. There was definitely a great distinction in her behavior from what it used to be. I just couldn't figure out why.

"Now do you understand the feeling of losing a loved one who will never love you back…?" she whispered in an eerie voice. I gasped quietly, wondering if she had really said that or if it was just my imagination. She smiled at me; a small yet vicious smile, enough to make me want to scream and hide away forever. With a deep breath, I locked the bedroom door from the outside and slowly pulled the door shut until it was completely closed. I wouldn't be able to see her and that would make me feel a bit more relieved. I realized that I probably could've left the room if I wanted to. But what was the point if I had nothing to live for anymore…?

* * *

><p>Later during the day, I decided to sleep. There was nothing else to do in the room besides that, unless I was really interested in playing with dust. In my sleep, I had another dream, but this one was less frightening. Instead, it was more emotional.<p>

Drew was in my dream. He was with May of course. The two were so happy. They had a great life in the village free from curses and strict parents. And in my dream, the two were doing everything a perfect couple would do: hold hands, hug, kiss, feed each other, tease each other… the list went on and on. And while they were happily together, I watched from nearby, envying May the entire time.

When I awoke from that dream, I knew that I still wasn't over Drew yet. And I felt a sudden urge to see him again!

Without further hesitation, I made my way to the dirty window and pulled at it until it creaked open. A strong breeze blew in as the window opened, causing my red hair to fly all over my face. I had to hurriedly fix my hair so that I could view the village scene once more. Then, I saw it.

The small village was in perfect view as I always saw it, and I concluded that it was because I was in the room just above my old one. It brought back memories; memories of the dreams I had whenever I glanced out the window. They were so wild, so free and full of happiness; little did I know that dreams were merely fragments of glass just waiting to be shattered at the perfect time. Still, knowing that never stopped anyone from dreaming, did it? That's why people still dream, isn't that right?

I rested my elbows on the window sill, my hands holding up the curve of my face so that I could peacefully watch the village as it came alive. The center area was full of life as it always was; people walking in and out, stopping at the water fountain to enjoy the sight of the peaceful waters.

Then, I saw him. I saw Drew in the center area right in front of the water fountain. There was no mistaking him, not with his noticeably green hair.

"Drew," I said aloud, hoping that he would somehow hear my voice. His head turned toward me, and I felt my heart leap up with happiness… until I saw her.

May.

I saw her as she ran up to Drew, panting because she was out of breath, and Drew giving a flick of his hair, probably teasing her again. What I thought was Drew turning to face me, was only him turning to face May.

"No…" I whispered as I leaned out the window to get a better look. My eyes wouldn't believe what they were seeing, and my mind couldn't process if what I was seeing was real or just a dream.

"Drew!" I said raising my voice. I extended out a hand so that he could take it; take it and be with me, so that the loneliness would finally leave me.

He didn't take it.

He didn't even bother to look at me. I saw the two facing each other with such happy expressions. And then, Drew put his arms around her. May struggled in his arms as if she was trying to break free from him. I imagined myself in her place. I would've stayed happily in his arms, not try to break free of it.

Then, May settled herself and nuzzled her head upon his chest. I could feel the inner part of myself wanting to scream, to break the two apart! And finally, I realized that I truly _was_ screaming, screaming out his name. My hand extended further out the window, trying desperately to reach out for him. But he never once looked back at me.

"Drew! Drew!" I tried harder, each shout louder and more emotional than the last. I couldn't allow for those two to be together! Why did I have to suffer alone?

I could feel the pain surge throughout my body, crying out for his touch, for his attention to be turned toward me. But the two only kept in each other's arms, while I had no one to hold on to. Hot tears filled my eyes as I continued to scream for him. I never knew I could scream so loud. I never knew I could reach out that far. When, at last, the two stopped embracing one another, they looked caringly at each other before sealing their love with a final kiss.

I don't know what happened to me after that. All I knew was that I was falling, and the light air was guiding me to my future. I could see the ground below me approaching me faster that I could've imagined, but that didn't cause any fear to enter my mind.

Knowing that it was all over for me, I made a couple blinks to ensure that I was still alive for the moment. After one of those blinks when my eyes were open, I could see the inside of my old room. The window was wide open, and Sofia was sitting on her small stool beside my bed, playing her beautiful silver harp. It was that song again. I could recognize it even as I was falling to my death, and I felt a bit of sanctity knowing that that song was the last thing I heard before I fell into the darkness.

My gaze turned to Sofia, and surprisingly, she was looking back at me. Her murky, depraved eyes glared back at me as she continued to strum her harp. And as I passed the window, my eyes no longer able to view the inside of my room, I could hear her faint voice singing the words of that haunting song.

"…Can't I even dream?"

My mind went blank after that and I found myself in an empty abyss. There was nothing here, just like in my living world, and just like in my dream world. However, this place was more comforting. There was no way to explain it, but I had no troubles letting my mourning and sorrow over Drew come out.

I now understood why the young man had placed that curse over the palace. It was because he had lost a loved one who had been his reason for living. And that emotion was so strong that it overpowered him, causing the essence of his being to die off. And I had followed in his footprints. The curse of the palace was truly an accurate foretelling.

The death of a future princess _was_ caused by a single man; a single man who had no love for her, and left her grieving to her death. Whoever knew love was such a murderous thing?

My love for Drew was probably never meant to be. I knew that. Others knew that. Everyone knew that. But I just never choose to believe it. Even after being told countless times to give up on him, even after being told to my face that he didn't love me, and that he loved May… I still dreamed to be with him.

It was a stupid dream. But all dreams are stupid, aren't they? There's no reason to dream when others are already convinced of how the future will be. Is there no change to that? No dream to change that? If there is, it must require power: something that I didn't have despite my status.

May and Drew… I had no part in that relationship, no chance to be with him; none at all. Misty, Leaf and Dawn; they had all told me how those two were meant for each other, and the news cut my heart to pieces. Why give more reason when I had already heard enough? The only outcome was tears, pain, and injuries, none that could be easily fixed.

I was constantly told that those two were a cute couple. They represented _the_ _perfect _couple. They were _made_ for each other. Having me interfere with them was just a waste of time. And as I speak out to my audience full of empty seats, for anyone who is willing to hear my words, all I have to say is that, I know.

I know all that, ok?

I know I won't ever have a chance to be with my love. No matter how strong it is, it would never beat May's love for him.

Do you have to ruin my dreams for me? Put me down and tell me what decisions I should make? Can't I just live in my dream world peacefully already knowing that it will never be brought to reality?

Can't I even dream…?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Well, I must admit that after writing this story, I've gained more respect for Brianna than I had for her when I first saw her in Chrysanthemum Island drooling over Drew ahaha. I want to thank you readers who have read this and I hope you enjoyed it (or maybe not). I just wanted to try to maybe persuade people that Brianna really isn't as bad as she seems (At least I think she isn't…) I hope this story wasn't too bad. Oh and if you've never heard the song before, you should listen to it, because it's a really beautiful song hehe.


End file.
